Rutherford Revised (202)

202. To the Laird of Cally      From Aberdeen 1637

(See letter 198)

Worthy sir, - Grace, mercy and peace be to you. I confess I have been too long in writing to you. My argument now to you on paper since I cannot speak to you as I did before, is that in your youth you lay the sure foundation. When you begin to seek Christ, consider the terms on which you covenant to follow Him, and think what it may cost you; so that neither summer nor winter, good nor ill, will cause you to change your master, Christ. Keep right with Him, and be honest and faithful so he finds no fault in you. When youth comes to its full flower, then the devil, the lusts of a deceiving world, and sin are on horseback to follow with sails up. If this was not the case, Paul would not have written to a sanctified and holy youth, Timothy, (a faithful teacher of the Gospel), to fly from the lusts of youth. Give Christ your virgin love; you cannot put your love and heart into a better hand. Oh, if you knew Him and saw His beauty, your love, your liking, your heart, your desires, would come close with Him, and stick to Him. Love, by nature, when it sees, must put its spirit and strength on pleasant objects, and good things, and things worthy of love; and what better thing than Christ? O fair sun and fair moon and fair stars and fair flowers and fair roses and fair lillies and fair creatures; but O, ten thousand thousand times fairer Lord Jesus! Alas, I got Him wrong making this comparison! O black sun and moon but fairest Lord Jesus! O all fair things black and deformed without beauty, when you are next to the fairest Lord Jesus! O black heaven but O fair Christ! O black angels but surpassingly fair Lord Jesus! I would see nothing more to make me happy for ever but a thorough and clear sight of the beauty of Jesus my Lord. Let my eyes enjoy His fairness, and stare Him forever in the face, and I have all that I can wish. Get Christ rather than gold or silver; seek Christ though you should lose all things for Him. 
   They look at imperfect evidences and squint at fair  Christ, then look to the world and their leisure, and for the sake of their honour and position, and credit and for fear of losses and a painful skin, they turn their backs of Christ and His truth.  Alas, how many blind eyes and squinters look on Christ's beauty this day in Scotland, and they see a spot on Christ's fair face! Alas, they are not worthy of Christ who look on Him in this way and see no beauty in Him as to why they should desire Him! God send me my fill of His beauty if it is possible that my soul can be full of His beauty here. It would not need much of Christ's beauty to lessen the eager appetite of a soul (sick with love for Himself) to see Him in the other world where He is seen as He is.
   With all my heart I am glad that you have given you greenest youth to this Lord Jesus. Hold on and do not tire or faint. Be committed to suffering for Christ; but do not fear ten days' trouble, for Christ's sour cross is sweetened with comforts, and has a taste of Christ Himself. I think it to be my glory, my joy, and my crown and I bless Him for this honour, to be joined to Christ and married to Him in suffering, who therefore was born, and therefore came into the world that he might witness to the truth. Above all things make efforts for salvation; for heaven is not taken without running, fighting, sweating and wrestling. Oh , happy soul that denies itself and is delighted to gain that fair wreath and crown of glory! It is a worthless loss to go through this desert and never taste sin's sweet pleasures! How is a soul poorer lacking pride, lust, love of this world, and the vanities of this vain and worthless world? Nature has no reason to cry over the lack of toys like these. Count it your gain to be an heir to glory. Of, this is only a sight of a fair rent.! When in trouble, the very hope of heaven is like wind and sails to the soul,and like wings when the feet escape the snare. Oh, why do we stay here? Up, up after out Lord Jesus! This is neither our rest nor our home. What are we to do in this prison except to eat and find room for a time?
   Grace, grace be with you.
      Your soul's well wisher and Christ's prisoner,  S.R.